Honda Says It's Not Yet Time for a New S2000
Honda says it still needs time to gauge whether or not there’s a business for a new S2000 sportscar.
The internet has been stomping its feet, demanding a new S2000 ever since rumors of a ‘baby NSX’ first surfaced a few years ago. Soon after those rumors came to light, Honda fanned the flames with mysterious patent drawings, which, in a somewhat anticlimactic turn of events, ended up being for its Vision Gran Turismo concept. The automaker has also doubled down on its performance offerings as of late, rolling out both the NSX and Civic Type R, but company boss Takahiro Hachigo says it still needs time to decide on the S2000.
“As of today, I cannot say clearly that S2000 will be reinvented as further studies are necessary,” Hachigo told Autocar at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.
“All over the world – in Japan, North America, Europe, China – more and more voices are expressing the desire to reinvent S2000. However, it has not matured yet. It’s not time yet. We need time to decide if S2000 is reinvented or not.”
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Based on Hachigo’s comments, it seems Honda is also torn on what a new S2000 should be. The Vision Gran Turismo concept that some think could serve as inspiration for the new S2000 is a mid-engine car, but the original S2000 was front-engine. We imagine Honda is also mulling over whether it should be a gas only offering, a hybrid, or maybe even pure electric. Many S2000 fans would likely rather the car not be “reinvented” for this rumored new model, but Honda will go where the money is.
“If the sales people investigate, look at it and they’re really enthusiastic, maybe we look at (producing a new S2000),” Hachigo said.
[Source: Autocar]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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How much time and research money are needed by their marketing wizards to figure this out? Don't get cute and re-invent to the degree the pedigree and original buying market is lost to over pricing and misguided hybridization or electrification. It ain't rocket science, Honda...price it right, keep it "simple" and give it somewhat modern styling. It won't take from the R series nor from the Acura NSX. I'm waiting...